The Pace Pitch Contest is based on the Elevator Pitch concept, popular in the venture capital community. It is an extremely concise presentation of an entrepreneur's idea, business model, marketing strategy, competitive analysis, and financial plan, which is delivered to potential investors. The premise is that it could be made in a few minutes, should the entrepreneur spot a potential investor on an elevator and have the opportunity to pitch their idea during the brief ride.

In the Pace Pitch Contest, ten finalists will each have exactly three minutes to pitch an idea for a new business concept or social venture to a distinguished panel of judges and an enthusiastic audience.

Keynote Speaker on Commercial Entrepreneurship: Steve Hindy, Co-Founder and President of The Brooklyn Brewery. Steve is also the co-author of Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery.
Keynote Speaker on Social Entrepreneurship: Majora Carter, Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx. Majora is a 2005 MacArthur Fellow (the "Genius Grant").